In a capitalist system, the only way to achieve profits is to put people first and serve them.
Sadly, we have a system of crony capitalism, where it pays better to get subsidies, bailouts, federal insurance, control regulations to favor powerful incumbent and otherwise socialize costs.

As the purview of government expands far beyond its constitutional scope (and arguable any scope), this is unfortunately unavoidable. It is naive to think the problem lies with the people currently in charge, or the current set of regulations, or the moral flaws of bankers. The metaproblem lies in the system itself…

I hope the people before profit guy gives all of his money to charity whenever he gets paid. He should only lives on just enough to survive. That means no TV, no Internet, no other expensive toys. If he truely wants to put people first before self profit, that would be the true way.

Corporations are required to put profit above all else. People, whether they be customers, employees or society, are merely inputs to the profit-creating process.

It is a natural result of our system which makes financial capital always superior to labor capital:
– Working wages are taxed at a higher rate than capital gains or inherited wealth
– Financial capital can flow anywhere in the world while labor capital is restricted.
– The primary duty of a corporation is to the stockholders who invested money, not the employees who invested their lives.

Abe Lincoln had it right: “Labor is prior to, and independent of, capital.
Capital is only the fruit of labor, and could never have existed if
labor had not first existed. Labor is the superior of capital, and
deserves much the higher consideration.”

Labor will never flow as easily as capital. Workers are not fungible and have non-labor reasons for preferring one place over another. Capital has none of those encumbrances. I realize that is supposed to be an immigration point, but it adds nothing to the argument.

No, it’s not an immigration point. Sure, workers have feelings about where they’d like to live and money doesn’t. Just because money flows easier is no justification for a structure in which financial capital is always superior and labor always inferior.

Right. That’s why it doesn’t add anything to the point. The thing is, it is possible to change the tax treatment of wages v. capital gains/inheritance. It is possible to modify corporation law to change their focus somewhat (as Germany has). The labor mobility problem is not going to change.

Corporations are required to put profit above all else. People, whether they be customers, employees or society, are merely inputs to the profit-creating process.

This is simply not true. If it was, every company with modest yearly profits (say, around what your average govt bond yields) would fire their staffs and sell all their property. They would generate an immense profit while at the same time destroying the value of their company.

For-profit companies are directed to increase their *value*, not profit. Day traders/speculators and MBA programs have managed to convince a lot of people that value == profit, but that is the fool’s path. Value includes not only revenue but also tangible and intangible assets (like people, brand good will, etc).